Gurdaspur readies wish list ahead of PM’s visit tomorrow

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, January 1

The setting up of Railway Wheel Factory (RWF) on the panchayat land in Kalanaur, AIIMS and a Central government sugarcane and wheat research centre tops the wish list drawn up by residents and politicians ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Gurdaspur on January 3.

Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said after holding several meetings with people of the Dera Baba Nanak Assembly, unanimous conclusion that emerged was that a RWF should be established on 1,200 acres of panchayat land lying vacant in Kalanaur.

This, he says, will generate direct and indirect employment avenues for the youth in this drug-infested border district.

“I met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi last week and he assured me that he will have a look into the matter. A majority of Batala’s 1,200-odd industrial units are on the verge of closure. World-famous Dhariwal Woollen Mill, too, has closed down. The once-renowned plywood and conduit pipe industry of Dinanagar is no more viable. I urge the PM to set up the RWF on the lines of Bangalore. Rail Ministry officials said despite the Bangalore plant running to its full capacity there was still a huge shortfall of wheels and axles. The venture can also be established at Dera Baba Nanak where 200 acres of panchayat land is lying vacant,” said Randhawa.

“A world-class medical institute, on the lines of AIIMS, should be established. This will cater to the demands of three states - Punjab, J&K and HP. This will also give employment opportunities to youths who are selling their properties to go abroad,” said Manjit Singh Dala, a real estate dealer.

Amardeep Cheema, Chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), said, “Apart from demanding AIIMS, I also urge the PM to set up a specialised Central government sponsored wheat and sugarcane research station. This is a sugarcane rich belt and the government is yet to find a cure for the yellow rust disease afflicting wheat crop which, in any case, is widespread in this area.”

Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar said the PM should announce the reintroduction of the Freight Equalisation Policy (FEP) which, before it was abolished in 1992, used to provide a level-playing field for industrial units throughout the country.

Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra urged the PM to set up the Gurdaspur-Mukerian rail link which would reduce the distance between cities of this border belt and other parts of the country.

Announce special package: Jakhar 

Chandigarh: Member of Parliament and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Sunil Jakhar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a special package for the border state and a major industrial project for Gurdaspur during his visit to the district on Wednesday. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the PPCC president said despite the poor track record of the BJP and its Prime Minister in keeping their promises, people still expected Modi to announce something substantial for the state. “We have over 1,000 acres of land in Kalanaur, Gurdaspur, which we are willing to give for any industrial project that can generate employment for the youth of the border district,” said Jakhar. TNS